Shaping the Future of Early Music: The Marian Consort at REMA’s General Assembly
How can early music continue to thrive, innovate, and be heard across Europe? This question lay at the heart of last week’s General Assembly of the European Early Music Network (REMA), held in Valletta, Malta, where The Marian Consort joined colleagues from across the continent for three days of exchange, discussion, and collective reflection on the future of the sector.
The Assembly, hosted by Festivals Malta and the Valletta Baroque Festival, brought together representatives of REMA’s network of 216 early music organisations from 29 countries. As a newly joined member of REMA, this marked The Marian Consort’s first opportunity to take part in the General Assembly in person and to engage directly with fellow artists, presenters, festivals, and institutions working across Europe.
Across workshops, panel discussions, and advocacy sessions, a clear message emerged: the strength of the early music sector lies in collaboration, shared knowledge, and a collective commitment to ensuring that its voice is heard at a European level. The Assembly offered space not only for strategic thinking and policy discussion, but also for strengthening the human connections that underpin international networks such as REMA.
Set within Valletta’s rich cultural landscape, the meeting was also shaped by moments of quiet reflection and artistic encounter. Between sessions, we found ourselves beneath the extraordinary ceiling of Teatro Manoel, engaging closely with Caravaggio’s paintings in St John’s Co-Cathedral, and admiring historic choral books preserved in the Mdina Cathedral Museum.
The Marian Consort extends its warm thanks to REMA, Festivals Malta, and the Valletta Baroque Festival for curating such a thoughtful and inspiring programme of discussions, visits, and performances, and for their generous hospitality throughout the week.
This first General Assembly has already sparked new conversations and perspectives, and we look forward to continuing our engagement with the network in the months ahead. This includes contributing to future initiatives such as Early Music Day 2026, a flagship REMA project celebrating the vitality, diversity, and contemporary relevance of early music across Europe and beyond.
Photo credits: CULTO Productions
